Chance for Calderdale voluntary and community groups to secure vital funding

The programme was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 emergency. As the Council continues to focus on supporting the borough’s recovery, the Small Grant programme will be directed to help local community and voluntary groups get back on their feet.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, Cllr Scott Patient, said. “We know that our volunteer and community groups do so much for local people. We’re delighted to be able to reopen our Community Small Grants programme to help support these local organisations and aid their recovery from the COVID pandemic.

“Many of the borough’s small and often volunteer-led groups have had their usual activities restricted for nearly two years. We know how much of a difference these community grants can make, so urge eligible organisations to consider how they can benefit from this grant scheme.

“Our thriving cultural scene and our strong community spirit are some of the things that make Calderdale distinctive. As we continue our recovery from COVID and all look towards a brighter future, we want to ensure that we can support those smaller events or projects which bring so many benefits for local communities.”

The Community Small Grants programme will concentrate on the Council’s priorities: Supporting Strong and Resilient Towns, Reducing Inequalities, and Tackling the Climate Emergency.

The Council is particularly looking to support small organisations running an event or a project later this year. These events and projects should:

Improve the strength and resilience of our local communities.

Support job creation and skills, mainly through volunteers.

Grow the community and social enterprise sector.

Increase volunteering in regions of greatest need.

Support local projects and build local capacity.

Support high-quality health and wellbeing events.

Improve equality and social cohesion.

Improve access for deprived communities.

Encourage activities to save energy and introduce clean transport options

Improve our local environment.

Promote healthy, affordable, sustainable and local food.

The deadline for the next round of grants is Monday February 21. The funding pot is £70,000, with a maximum grant of £3,000 available for successful applicants.

To be eligible, your voluntary or community group must have a constitution and a bank account in the name of the group.

The Small Grants panel is particularly interested in applications benefitting groups that are sometimes less well represented, such as BME and LGBT communities, people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, and those people experiencing poverty.

For more information about the Community Small Grants programme and to apply, click here* Support your Halifax Courier by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe